Black History Month 2023: celebrating diversity in STEM – interview with Issa Jyamubandi

Dr Issa Jyamubandi
Principal Scientist, Immunoassay
Drug Development Solutions, Alliance Pharma Inc. (Cambridge, UK)

We are celebrating Black History Month 2023 by interviewing those who are a part of the Black community and work within the field of STEM, as we want to highlight the work and achievements of those who may go unrecognised within the industry.

We interviewed expert Issa Jyamubandi from Drug Development Solutions, a part of Alliance Pharma Inc., about the work he is involved in, his proudest project/research and the best piece of advice he’s been given whilst building his career.

1) Please introduce yourself and the work that you do
I am Dr Issa Jyamubandi, a Principal Scientist at Drug Development Solutions, part of Alliance Pharma, Inc. I have more than 12 years’ experience developing and validating several bioanalytical methods for a range of therapeutic products to make sure they are safe, effective and meet regulatory requirements. As a principal scientist, my day-to-day job primarily involves working on various bioanalytical methods and also advising various Pharma/Biotech and pier analysts on how to overcome various analytical challenges. This role gives me an opportunity to be in the lab hands-on, troubleshooting any analytical challenges that arise and collaborating with others internally and externally.

2) What motivated you to pursue the career you are in now?
I do strongly believe that we are shaped by past and present experiences. I initially wanted to be a lawyer as a child, mainly because of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, but at the age of 15, I was infected with one of the rarest forms of infection. My doctor at the time did not have an appropriate diagnosis and recommended surgery, which did not cure the infection because a couple of years later it resurfaced again. I was only able to get a true diagnosis when a doctor at Coventry University Hospital (Coventry, UK) took a sample and sent it to the lab to be tested, which lead to a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This early years’ experience is what lead me to change course and pursue a career as a scientist. Today, being able to work with various pharmaceutical companies to help advance various therapeutic compounds ranging from haemophilia, cancer to rare genetic disorders feels me with joy.

3) What do you enjoy the most about your job?
There are so many things I enjoy about my job. However, on top of the list is the ability to share some of the scientific knowledge I know, whether in a one-to-one or via group presentation. We have a regular method development meeting, where we discuss the progress of various projects and one thing that I have enjoyed over the years is how everyone in the team approaches any scientific challenges from a different angle. Given the constantly evolving scientific environment, I find teaching others a great tool to improve my learning hence I cherish any scientific challenge, as this is another reason for me to learn something new.

4) What project/research have you worked on that you are most proud of?
Most of the work we carry out in our lab is confidential, which would make it harder to disclose this information. But, being part of a group of scientists that develop methods to help new therapeutic products, which we know can save someone’s life in the future, is something that feels me with pride.

In 2014, I was privileged to attend a conference in Berlin where there was a discussion about the lack of methods to detect anti-Peg antibodies. Every time I hear about a scientific challenge, it gives me the drive to look for a solution,  ‘seek and ye shall find’. As part of my group, we always have individual research projects of interest to work on and the development of generic anti-Peg antibodies is one that I choose to work on. Most recently, there were cases of hypersensitivity linked to PEG present in the COVID-19 vaccine, which emphasized the need for a generic immunogenicity method to detect anti-PEG antibodies. Being able to develop such a method to detect anti-PEG antibodies, which will help to understand if there is a link with hypersensitivity reported and also help various pegylated therapeutics in the future, is what keeps me going in science.

5) What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Do your best and always strive to do better.

6) Who is your inspirational hero?
Growing up most of my inspiration came from my father. He was always pushing me to do my best and he was a hardworking man that never looked for easy answers or half-baked solutions. He was always of the view that you reap what you sow.

My other inspirational hero, especially when it comes to Black History Month, is Dr Martin Luther King. He made a huge contribution to getting to where we are today, despite countless threats and arrests. I will end this interview with one of my favorite quotes from Dr Martin Luther King,

‘The time is always right to do what is right.’